


Escaped From the Zoo

by JJLives



Category: Glee
Genre: BrittanaCon Prompt Project, F/F, Sex, Zookeeper AU, park ranger au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:01:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25488145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJLives/pseuds/JJLives
Summary: Zoo!keeper Brittany and Park!Ranger Santana are forced to team up when a Tiger escapes from the Zoo. Is it the beginnings of hate or love?Rated mature for sexual content.Prompt fill for Brittanacon once upon a time.
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69





	Escaped From the Zoo

**Author's Note:**

> I actually like the premise of this one shot. I remember it was really fun to write and I had a blast down memory lane reading through it once again.

I don’t know why they sent me... I mean, I  _ do _ , but how they thought it was a good Idea I don’t know. Three years and I’ve not had a single write up, not a single complaint, not one incident. I’ve been good. I finally found a job I’m good at and I love it. 

But I screwed up and instead of firing me they sent me here. 

I tap my finger on the steering wheel I’ve refused to let go of since I pulled up to the Ranger station. If I could, I’d turn around and drive as far from Phoenix as I could, but I know I can’t run from my problems. I can’t just leave and pretend none of this happened. I finally found a place I want to stay, and I’m kind of sick of running. 

I take one last deep breath and figure I might as well get this over with. I hop out of my truck and make it halfway to the wooden framed shack that is the station before I realize I’m missing something. Seriously, Brittany, get your head together. This is no time to go back to your scatter-brained ways. I jog back to the truck and grab my bag before heading into the station. 

I hear arguing the second I step through the threshold. An older man is sitting behind a desk, piled high with haphazardly placed folders, along the far wall. He seems unperturbed even though there’s a woman yelling at him from the other side. Her back is to me and all I can see is her dark ponytail swinging from the back of her head.

“I won’t do it!” She slams both palms on his desk.

“This isn’t a negotiation.” 

I’ve got to give the old guy credit, he doesn’t even shrink back from the girl towering over him. 

“Pompus-”

“What was that?” There’s a warning in his tone and the girl takes a deep breath and leans back to stand in a less threatening position. 

She huffs and swipes a hand over the hair at the top of her head. She must be one of those people that rake their fingers through their hair when frustrated. I know lots of people like that. I even had one friend in high school that never wore their hair up because it frustrated them when they couldn’t run their fingers through it. 

“Why me?” She whines, while still somehow remaining enraged.

“Honestly?” 

“Yes.” Her arms cross in front of her.

“Because I can’t stand having you around the station for another minute.” I’m shocked, I think anyone would be hearing that tone coming from their boss, but the younger ranger just scoffs. “Take this time to go clear your head and, hopefully, come back refreshed.”

There’s a full minute of silence before the girl answers. “Fine, whatever, but I’m not happy about it.”

I don’t really want to be caught eavesdropping so I reach back and silently open the door again before closing it louder than before. They both turn to look my way; the girl frowns and the older man smiles. I decide it would be smarter of me to deal with the more friendly looking of the two so I keep my eyes on the man behind the desk as I approach.

“Hi,” I say in greeting. “My name is Brittany. I’m with-”

“Phoenix Zoo,” he finishes for me. He stands and reaches for my hand. “My name is Steve, and this here,” he motions to the girl beside me, “is Santana.”

“Lopez.” I can feel her looking at me without needing to turn towards her. 

“Santana Lopez?” I ask, turning her way, just to clarify she was indeed talking to me.

“No, just Lopez to you.” She turns and stomps out of the station, not forgetting to slam the door behind her as she exits. I wince as the frames on the walls rattle.

“Sorry about her.” Steve says, giving me a soft smile. “She can be…” he sighs. 

“Yeah...” I acknowledge. “So I guess the sooner we get started the sooner we all can get back to our normal lives.”

“Of course, right this way. We have a vehicle all ready for you. You should be set for anything you might need.” 

He steps around his desk and motions me to follow him outside. He leads me to a Jeep and shows me the camping gear and the emergency supplies. I brought most of my own things but it’s nice to know there will be back ups if they’re needed.

He asks if there’s anything else he can provide me with and I start to think he’s about to send me out into the wilderness alone. “A guide would be nice.” 

He laughs. “I wouldn’t send you out there alone. Don’t worry I got you the best guide there is around these parts. They know the area better than anyone and they even have a few ideas where you’ll find him.”

“Her,” I correct. His brow furrows. “Hadiah is a female.”

He shrugs as if it’s no big deal to confuse them. They look entirely different and I don’t know if I should explain the differences in size and appearance of the genders to him or not. I decide to remain quiet. 

“Okay let’s get this shit on the road.” 

I jump when a bag flies near my head and lands in the back of the Jeep with the other supplies. I didn’t hear anyone approach and I didn’t expect to see Lopez so soon. I close my eyes and take a deep breath realizing she’s the guide Steve told me about. Their earlier argument now makes complete sense. 

“You coming or what?” She snarls from the driver’s seat. I didn’t even notice her get in. I look to Steve but he just smiles half-heartedly and it doesn’t reassure me in the least. I throw my bag into the back with Lopez’s and get into the passenger seat. Might as well get this over with.

Two hours. It’s been two whole hours of silence. Lopez won’t even let me turn on the radio to cover up how awkward this trip has become. We’ve been winding through the forest since we left. I tried, at first, to follow the direction we were heading but soon the trees covered the sky so much I couldn’t tell what direction we were going; that and all of Lopez’s turns had me lost soon after leaving the station. I briefly wonder if this was her plan, get me lost and leave me out here to die. 

I look beside me and size her up. She’s smaller than me so I could probably take her. I could definitely outrun her with my longer legs. I’ll just have to make sure I keep an eye on her, I don’t think a Ranger would leave me out here to die but you never know. She’s got that scary persona pretty down pat. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

“Huh?” I grunt in confusion.

She looks over at me. “Stop staring.” 

I look away instantly. Her dark eyes are just as piercing as her voice is commanding. So much for being able to beat her in a fight, I can’t even beat her in a staring contest. I sigh and peek back over at her and her eyes are still on me. It takes me a split second to realize she’s not watching the road. I look forward again and notice the ‘road’ we are on is little more than a slightly widened path. My eyes go wide and my hands automatically grip the door handle and the dash. I open my mouth to tell her to watch where she’s going when I hear laughter.

“Chill out. We aren’t going to crash,” she says as she makes a sharp left turn and I’m thrown sideways. I wince as my elbow is knocked sharply on a protruding piece of the metal door.

It’s another half hour of silent driving and I can’t take it anymore.

“Do you have a destination in mind or are we just randomly driving around? It seems to me we’re just going in circles.”

“Not circles, but if you wouldn’t mind chopping down some of these hundred year old trees we can make our own straight path.” This girl is a fucking smart ass. “Should I stop?” She asks as her foot presses the brakes and I feel the Jeep start to slow.

“No, but I would like to know how much further until we arrive… to wherever we’re going.”

“Not long.”

Another twenty minutes, not long my ass.

“How much-”

“Almost there.”

Fifteen more minutes pass and I’m debating asking again. For all I know she just keeps driving because I keep asking. Five minutes later I’m about to open my mouth when the Jeep comes to a sudden stop. I’m thrown forward and instantly am glad I put my seatbelt on earlier.

“Okay, we’re here.”

“Finally, and where is here?” I ask.

“The forest.”

I roll my eyes but don’t respond. This is going to be a super fun excursion!

“So what, we set up camp here?”

“No, camp will be about an hour's hike that way.” She informs and points in, what I can only assume is a random direction.

“You have got to be kidding me? Why can’t we drive there?” I’m not lazy, I’m just so exhausted. I didn’t sleep much last night and she’s already drained most of my reserve energy and we’ve barely spoken. Now she expects me to hike?

“If you want to scare her off before we even get close then be my guest. This area is huge and happens to be one of the areas she’s been seen recently. If we drive in with a Jeep she’s going to leave and find another territory to take up in.”

“This is ridiculous. We’re hours from the station,” I pull my phone from my shorts. “We have no reception, and you want us to trek an hour from what’s holding all of our supplies?”

“Of course not!” She looks affronted. “We’re only about two hours from the station and we aren’t leaving our supplies here, that’s crazy.” I sigh in relief. “We’re bringing them with us.”

“You mean to tell me we are carrying all this? And what do you mean we’re two hours from the station, we just drove well over three.”

“I had some things to check up on so I drove by on the way here.” She shrugs and ties her bag to the bottom of a larger pack holding half the supplies. How I didn’t notice that the supplies were in two packs when Steve showed me is beyond me.. “And don’t tell me you can’t carry a pack for a little while. City girls.” She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I take a step towards her.

“It means,” she looks up pointedly and I force my eyes to remain on her this time, “that you city girls are so used to batting your eyes at a man and having them jump to do anything that would require any physical exertion. The thought of doing anything yourself seems impossible. It’s pathetic.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.” I’m more than mad. I became tired with people assuming things about me a very long time ago. I’m not opposed to proving my worth. 

I grab my bag and tie it to the other larger one in the back of the Jeep just as she did. I lift it up and swing it onto my back. It’s heavy, I’m not going to lie, but it’s bearable. I tighten a few of the straps around my waist and adjust my stance before I’m ready to go. I look up and Lopez is still rummaging through her pack.

“Can we get a move on?”

She looks up at me and sizes me up. I may have caught a small glint of approval in her eyes but I could be mistaken. “Just getting the map.” She says, pulling a map and compass out of one of the pockets. She takes a few moments putting her pack on and then we’re off.

Half hour into the trek and I’m done… like my back hurts and my legs are shaking and I’m sweating like a pig. I look ahead of me and see Lopez, she’s been walking at a brisk pace, one that was easy for me to match with my longer legs at first, but now I keep falling further and further behind the more exhausted I become. She’s asked me twice if I need help or need to take a break and I refuse each time. I don’t want to give her the satisfaction. 

I stop to stretch my back as much as the large pack will allow me to. It’s not much but I feel a pull and at first it feels good but soon turns into a cramp. Darn it!

“Are you coming?” I hear Lopez yell. I can’t see her ahead of me anymore so she must have rounded a bend in the path.

“Yeah!” I try yelling but it comes out as a wheeze. 

I move forward again telling myself it can’t be that much further. I don’t even get to the bend when she appears again. She looks me up and down before frowning. I glare at her and push my way past. I continue for about twenty paces before I realize I’m having trouble breathing. The cramp is creating a dull pain and I’m not able to take the deep breaths my body needs.

“Stop.” I hear behind me.

I keep going.

“This is ridiculous, just stop and rest for a damn minute.” She speaks up and I feel a tug on my pack halting me. I try to push forward but my muscles won’t obey. So much for me being bigger, she’s much stronger than I am. I think if this comes down to a fight for survival I’m going to be screwed. She squeezes her way between me and the thick brush to my left and looks me in the eyes. “Just take the pack off for five minutes. You’re about to collapse and I’m not carrying you as well.”

She’s already moving to unclip the straps around my middle and she lifts the pack from my shoulders. I’m too tired to fight. She sets it against a tree close to the walking path we’re on. Path is a loose term, it's more of an animal trail but it’s better than fighting our way through the brush.

She takes her own pack off and sets it beside mine. Looking around she grabs my elbow and pulls. I follow as I reach my free hand around to massage my cramping muscles. I’m pushed to sit on a fallen tree and told to stay put. She soon returns with my pack and starts removing my personal bag. She frowns as she looks at it from different angles. She ends up shaking the contents to each end and folds it in half. I watch her work in silence as I concentrate on breathing. She hands me a water out of the pack and motions for me to drink: I obey. Tying my bag back on the pack she lifts it onto her own shoulders.

“What are you doing?” I ask after a couple sips of water. The last thing I need is stomach cramps on top of my back pain at this point. 

“Fixing it,” is her simple reply.

She takes it off and moves a few things around into different pouches. Placing it on her shoulders again, she frowns, removing it she leaves to collect her own pack returning with it on her shoulders. She grabs the two other water bottles in my pack and puts them in a pouch on her own. She lifts mine onto her back and nods before setting it down once more.

“You done?” She motions to the bottle in my hand. I nod and she reaches for it. I don’t object as she drinks her fill. She places the mostly empty bottle in her pack and shoulders it, adjusting the straps and buckles until she’s satisfied.

I stand, getting the message that the reprieve has come to an end. I swing my pack back on my shoulders and start tightening the straps but Lopez steps forward and swats my hands away.

“Hey!”

“Let me do it. You’re doing it all wrong.”

“Am not.” I say under my breath but I allow her to take over. She rolls her eyes and spends a good two minutes adjusting things. When she steps back she looks at me expectantly. “What?”

“How does it feel?”

“It feels like a heavy ass bag hanging from my shoulders,” I say and move to step around her but stop as something is noticeably different. 

I straighten my back and notice the pack feels much lighter, but she’d only taken a couple bottles of water out of it. How could that make so much of a difference? I take a few more steps and realize I don’t have to round my shoulders with the weight like I had to before. 

“It’s lighter.” I blurt amazed.

“Not really.” she answers as she passes me, smirking. “It’s just balanced way better than it was.”

I lift my shoulders up and down and smile, feeling how much of a difference it makes, how much of a difference she made. She must not be completely horrible after all.

It only takes us fifteen more minutes to reach our camping spot and we immediately go about setting up. The tent goes up and we clear debris from the site. It’s in a pretty heavily covered part of the forest and Lopez says it will keep our site fairly dry if it decides to rain. It’s late by the time we’ve gathered dry branches for the fire we’ll make once the sun sets. 

We chew on a couple energy bars from our supplies, sitting on a log from a long fallen tree, and when the sky begins to darken Lopez disappears saying she’ll be right back. We’ve not spoken a whole lot but the energy is less tense than it was a few hours ago. 

She returns with our empty water bottles filled. She points the way she came, “There’s a stream over there.” I smile and nod as she hands me two bottles to keep with my things, since she took them all when she was fixing my pack. 

“What made you want to be a Ranger?” I ask to break the silence.

“Why do you ask?” She doesn’t seem all that trusting, good thing I didn’t ask her a personal question or something.

“Just wondering.” I shrug. “Unless you don’t want to talk.”

She busies herself setting our gathered wood into a pile and adds dried brush to it. When she has a tiny fire going she backs away and sits on her side of the log. “I always liked the outdoors, so what better place to work than outside in the wilderness?”

“I guess.” 

It’s silent for a long while and when I look over to her she has her eyes closed. It’s gotten dark pretty quickly and the small fire is already creating shadows to dance over the contours of her face. 

“I love the sound out here, that’s another major perk.” She surprises me with the elaboration.

I listen. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Yes and no,” she replies. “There are no cars or buzzing street lamps or people yelling but there are sounds. The fire for one.” I hear the crackle of snapping wood. “The birds.” I hear five or six different calls. “The trees themselves.” High above the rustle of leaves fills my ears.

I sit with my eyes closed to copy her. I hear all these things and one more. I open my mouth and look behind me into the dark before turning to her. She’s smiling at me.

“And the stream.” I smile back when she nods.

“The sounds aren’t as loud but they are more… calmer. No, comforting is the word.” She reaches her hands forward to feel the heat of the fire. The temperature is starting to drop. “And the smells, they’re just so fresh and clean out here.”

I know what she means. The air is less stifling outside of the city limits. The temperatures are cooler away from the heated asphalt, and now that I hear the sounds around me I can see why she would prefer this to the busy noises of the city. 

“Why did you become a Zoo Keeper?”

I shouldn’t be surprised by the question, so many people have asked me that this past year and a half. I normally just give the response that it’s because I love animals but after her explanation that generic answer doesn’t seem to be quite enough. 

“An opportunity opened up and I took it.”

“That’s it, an opportunity opened up?” She seems unconvinced.

“Yeah, I mean I love animals obviously. I’m really good with the cats and I really, really enjoy my job.”

“But…”

“But I never planned it as a career. I moved a lot; traveled from place to place and picked up random jobs on my way. I got the interview at the zoo from a friend who knew someone in management and they gave me a good recommendation because they knew I liked animals and I was good with them. I was hired and they got me on the path of getting Certified and here I am.”

“Wow that’s a romantic story.” She says unimpressed.

“No, but it’s the truth. Not everyone has the good fortune of always knowing where they belong. Some people know exactly where they’re going and work to get there, others can search and search forever, never finding their place and sometimes some people are lost until their something just falls into their lap.”

“And that’s what happened to you?”

“I think so.”

“Well okay then. That’s actually a really interesting way to look at things.”

“I guess you were the first type; know where you want to go and work to get there.”

“Not really. I did a lot of searching for my place when younger. Then I found this. I found it early on but I think I probably started the search before many others did.”

I hum in response. 

We talk about a few random things over the next hour. We speak about our jobs and some of the places we’ve traveled. We even cover favourites, like favorite ice cream or candy or restaurant. Only when I’ve let out the third yawn in as many minutes does Lopez call it a night. She puts another log on the fire and makes sure there’s nothing to catch a spark, even though we cleared the debris earlier, and leads me to the tent. She says she’ll be right back and grabs her bag. I change into my pajamas while she is gone and when she returns she’s changed out of her green Ranger shirt and khakis and is in a tank top and sleep shorts. 

I climb into my sleeping bag and lay down facing the flimsy fabric above us. She climbs into hers and turns off the battery powered lamp we have on. Darkness fills the tent and I hear shuffling before the tent goes quiet. It’s been a very long time since I’ve slept so close to someone else. I mean I know we aren’t like in the same bed or anything. We aren’t sharing blankets but the space is small and I’ve not had to share this small of a space with someone in forever. 

The last thing I remember is turning on my side and listening to the breathing coming from the other side of the tent and wondering if I’ll be able to get any sleep at all. 

The next morning I wake to hear a zipper-sound. I raise my head in time to see a shadow on the outside of the tent and witness the flaps of the tent closing. Again, I use Lopez’s absence to get changed. When I leave the tent she’s nowhere to be found. I head off to find somewhere to use as a bathroom. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone camping to this extent. I take some toilet paper with me and round some vegetation the opposite way of the stream thinking Lopez may have gone to get some more water. 

I trip over something on the ground and fly forward, right into something smooth and warm. Me and the object go tumbling to the ground and the toilet paper in my hand gets abandoned as my life takes priority. I reach out to break my fall but still land heavily on the object I ran into. I hear a groan and feel a puff of air hit my neck before I realize the object must be Lopez.

“I’m so sorry!” I quickly say.

“If you were sorry, you’d get off of me.”

I realize I’m still sprawled on top of her so I lift my torso and look down to check on her. She takes a deep breath.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” I say as I look down. Lopez has changed into her Ranger shorts but hasn’t quite gotten to her shirt yet because besides the red bra covering her breasts she’s completely topless. I flush but can’t stop staring. I notice a few scars trailing along her left ribs but other than that her skin is flawless.

“Um… should I tell you to take another picture?”

“Can I?” I blurt before I can process. Oh my god! I’m so embarrassed I jump up as fast as humanly possible. I hear her laughing as she stands up herself but I’m completely mortified. I turn around and cover my face with my hands. I cannot believe I actually said that out loud.

“I’m soooo sorry. I shouldn’t have said that and I have no idea why I would and I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve said that three times already.”

“Really, I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing! And you can take your hands away from your face. I’m dressed now.” I do as I’m told and literally have to bite my tongue to stop myself from apologizing again. “Was there something you needed?”

“Huh?”

“Were you looking for me or…”

“Or.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t looking for you.”

“Huh?”

“What?” Great now I’m flustered and confused.

She smiles a small smile. “If you weren’t looking for me what were you doing?”

“Nature call.” 

It's then that Lopez turns to see what I’ve dropped. “Oh, okay well go a little ways out there, away from camp.” I nod. “ I’m going to head back and get ready for today’s activities.” I nod again.

When I return to camp Lopez has everything ready. She’s sitting on the log with a backpack beside her, looking up as I approach.

“Hey grab your bag and we’ll head out. I’ll show you the last place she was spotted. I figured that’s probably the best place to start.”

I nod and do as I’m told. I’m still super embarrassed about what happened earlier, but Lopez seems to have taken the route of ignoring it so I take her lead.

We head out with Lopez in the lead and this time we’re able to make better time as most of our supplies are left at the camp. I take note of my surroundings this time and figure if needed I could definitely find my way back. Not that I still think Lopez will leave me out here to die. I just hope  _ if _ she does she leaves the supplies with me. 

I don’t notice how long we’ve been walking because I’m noticing how beautiful the scenery is but soon Lopez stops and I nearly run into her back because of my distractions.

“Sorry.” I say as she notices my close proximity. 

“You apologize to everyone you get within a foot of?” She says it with a straight face and I don’t know if she’s joking until I see the corners of her mouth lift in a smirk.

“No.”

“Have you been keeping an eye out for your friend as we’ve been walking?” Her eyes say she knows the answer, that I’ve been observing without really seeing. 

“Of course.”

She doesn’t call me out on my blatant lie. Instead, she hums and moves through a thick portion of brush, moving off the trail we’ve been using. I follow until we stop at a tree not far off. It doesn’t take long to notice the tree has been marked. I’d seen these many times on the trees and stumps at the zoo. Long gashes are cut into the tree on several sides, the bark in some places still hanging on by papery threads. 

Lopez inspects the tree and sticks her little finger into one of the grooves. She pulls it out and inspects it. “It’s not very recent, the injuries are dry.” She inspects a few more gashes and comes to the same conclusion. “She may have moved on?”

I think it over for a few minutes and take in our surroundings. “Are there many humans around here? Hikers or campers?”

“No, the occasional hiker of course but campers, no. There aren’t any roads around here and few people are willing to carry as much gear as we did to get out here.”

“What about water, anything near?”

She nods and starts walking. We make it through some more brush and past a small clearing where the sun is finally able to reach us with its full force. It’s a different kind of heat in the direct sun. Under the canopy it’s more muggy, humid. It was more so in the morning but I can feel the Arizona sun drying the air even though it’s not even noon yet.

I follow Lopez into the treeline at the other edge of the clearing and we walk for about ten minutes before I hear running water. When we approach I notice the stream is quite deep in this area. The stream nearer our camp is thinner in width and probably only comes up to my waist at its deepest point. This I could probably wade in up to my neck. 

“What about prey.”

“What?”

“Living things.” I state offhandedly as I move to follow the water’s flow. “What inhabits this area?”

“I know what prey is.” Lopez says indignantly.

“Then why did you ask.” I shoot back.

“I meant why do you want to know.”

“It’s my department; tree sap is yours, tigers are mine.”

She huffs. “Besides the usual rodents like squirrels and rabbits and such there are some antelope, a few elk I suppose and lots of deer. Actually this time of year herds migrate through here a lot.

It seems more and more likely this is the perfect paradise for Hadiah.

“Predators?”

“A ton of coyotes that prey on the rodents, but that wouldn’t be much competition for a tiger, more of a prey species for her I think.” She smiles and I nod in agreement. Hadiah may have been raised in captivity but she still has her instincts and she’s smart. I’ve observed and worked with her enough to know that. “Oh and there are some mountain lions in the area. Just a few, though. They’re more solitary so they don’t tend to congregate in one area.”

“That could be a threat. They’re more similar in size to Hadiah and they have the benefit of being raised in the wild. They’ve been in more fights that she has.”

“I always thought tigers were bigger than that.”

“Hmmm, yeah many are, but Hadiah is a Sumatran and they’re typically smaller than the tigers in movies and such.”

“Oh, so the mountain lion thing could be a problem?”

“Could be,” I confirm as I continue my way down the stream, “But mountain lions typically have a larger territory than tigers so maybe there’s a good chance she won’t run into one.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh. Plus Hadiah, being raised in captivity, is used to a smaller environment so I think she would pick a smaller section of forest to make her home base, or whatever you want to call it-”

“Home base it is.”

I smile again as I watch Lopez jump up onto a fallen tree and walk across its length with her arms out, not because she needed to, just because the tree was there and she wanted to.

“What?” She asks as she notices my stares and she immediately drops her arms and hops off the tree, passing me quickly.

“I didn’t do anything. Lopez, wait up.” I jog to catch up and when I do she opens her mouth to say something but changes her mind so I continue. “Besides, I was saying she would use a smaller section as home base and wander outside that for food if need be.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“So her home base would need coverage, water, dense floor coverage and some food, but that last one is not needed to be in great demand as she could always wander off to find that.”

Lopez looks around and comes to the conclusion I already have. “This is the perfect place.”

“Exactly, unless something scares her off.”

“Like a mountain lion?”

“Or noise such as campers or hikers. You said she was spotted here recently a few times.”

“Twice. Once by a hiker and the other by another Ranger. She ran off before the Ranger got back with his tranq gun. Idiot.”

“So I take it, it wasn’t you?”

“Hells no! I always come prepared. Only an idiot wanders out here defenseless. Even without a tiger on the loose there are other dangers out here.”

“So how many Rangers do you share this territory with?”

“No one. I know this area the best because I’ve been working it the longest. I’m typically the only one that frequents it.”

“What was the other Ranger doing out here then?”

Lopez swipes her hand over the top of her head, just like she did in the Ranger station. I don’t know why that question bothers her. Maybe I shouldn’t pry.

“He was covering for me for a few days, that’s all.”

I want to ask more questions but know they’ll probably be unwelcome, so I nod and look around and find another marked tree. This one is smaller but has just as deep gashes in it; the cuts are dry like the other tree.

“How often do tigers mark trees?”

“Depends, Hadiah does it frequently though.” I frown.

“Maybe she  _ was _ chased off?”

“Then we’re starting from scratch, she could’ve gone in any direction.” I look at the markings again and then around our surroundings. This place is just too perfect, she wouldn’t leave unless something made her. Mountain lions are plausible but I don’t think there have been that many people around as to scare her that badly. “I think we should stick around for a day or two, make sure she’s gone before moving on.”

“You don’t think our scent will scare her off if we keep returning?”

“I doubt it. She’s used to the smell, she might even associate it with food, hopefully.” I laugh.

“Or associate it with a cage perhaps.” She just has to crash my optimism.

“I hope not.”

We look around for a few more hours, not finding anything besides some old scat. At least it’s enough to prove she’s stayed here for a length of time before. It’s probably a day old though and we can’t find any fresher signs she’s returned. We decide to leave just in case our presence is forcing her to keep her distance. We agree to return in the morning and check the area again for any more signs.

We spend the remainder of the day playing cards and talking. Lopez asks me questions about Hadiah and tigers in general and I’m happy to oblige with my knowledge. Our conversation moves to other things as the day grows older. The sun starts to set and Lopez builds another fire. We stay up exchanging conversation and silence periodically. 

When we’re ready to call it a night Lopez disappears with her night clothes, but not before yelling, “I’ll be over here if you decide to sneak a peek” and I blush, grateful for the darkness so that she doesn’t notice.

As we lay next to each other I hope the rest I got last night wasn’t a fluke and I’ll be able to sleep tonight as well. I turn my head in Lopez’s direction and can just make out her silhouette. She’d fallen asleep almost the second she laid her head down.

I think of the girl I met yesterday, the one that was yelling at Steve and the one that drove me crazy for three straight hours on our drive and compare her to the girl that was playfully balancing on a log today and the one who helped me with my pack and the one so passionate about nature and knowledge of living things that I met today. They don’t seem like the same person at all, but considering the closed off reaction I got to my earlier question about her absent from her post I doubt if I ask any other personal questions she would answer them willingly.

I am curious though and I know it’s going to drive me crazy.

The next morning the first sound I hear isn’t the tent zipper like the morning before. 

_ Tap, tap, tap, tap.  _

There are a few seconds between each sound but it’s enough to have me sitting up in annoyance. I look at my wrist and read 7:02am on my watch. I so could have gotten another hour of sleep. 

My movements must have woken Lopez because she rolls over and groans. “Whas goin’ on,” she mumbles while looking up at me through one half-lidded eye.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” I say sheepishly, ducking my chin. “It’s raining.”

She removes her arm from her forehead where it was blocking the faint daylight seeping through the fabric and stares up at the tent roof.

_ Tap, tap, tap, tap. _

“Mmmmm, good.” She rolls over and shrugs her sleeping bag up higher around her shoulders.

“Good?” I ask bewildered and slightly too loud if her groan and ear covering is any indication. “How is that good?” I ask it quieter, respecting her no loudness rule. I’m rewarded with an answer.

“We can wait out the rain, get more sleep.”

I weigh out the options and I really don’t want to trek through the rainy, damp forest. I shrug my shoulders and lay back down and close my eyes.

I wake up later to Lopez moving. She looks down at me from her sitting position and smirks.

“Finally, you sleep like a log.”

“How’s that?” My voice comes out hoarse, dry from sleep.

“Forever.” 

Her statement is so sure on its delivery that I scoff. I’m about to shrug the comment off because for sleeping on the ground I’m super comfortable right now when I remember.

“Hey, I woke up hours ago and  _ you _ were the one that went straight back to sleep.”

“Doesn’t count.”

“Wha-” I sit up so I’m eye level with her and I get a sick form of satisfaction when I realize I have to look down on her in this position because I’m taller. “That isn’t even fair.”

“My tent, my rules.”

“That makes even less sense.”

She just shrugs. I really don’t know how to win an argument that makes no sense so I just stare at her hoping she’ll relent and take back the log statement. She doesn’t, but she does start laughing. I take it as a surrender even though I know she would deny it if I voiced it. 

I notice that the tapping on the tent is still present. “Still raining?”

“Yup.” She rummages through her bag and pulls out some clothes, including a jacket. “We might have to just put up with it.”

I look from her to the closed flap of the tent. “You mean go out there anyway?”

“Yeah.” She doesn’t look up at me but instantly pulls her tank top off and sets it down beside her. I’m instantly frozen like I was the day before. No one should look that good without a shirt. “You’re not afraid of a little water are you, City Girl?”

“Brittany.”

“I know your name, City Girl.”

“You are impossible, you know that Lopez?” 

She lifts her head and her gaze distracts me from checking her out. One side of her mouth pulls tighter and I think she’s going to tell me something but doesn’t. She pulls a shirt over her head and tugs it down. 

Next I watch as she removes her shorts. It’s quite the show since the tent isn’t all that big and unlike when I change she isn’t the only one in the small space. I try not to watch but can’t help but take small glances. 

“I don’t think it’s worth the hike.” I say and only continue when she looks my way so I know she is listening. “Hadiah won’t be active. She’s going to be in some obscure shelter to get out of that.” I motion to the tent flap. “I don’t think we’d find her even if we stumble within ten feet from her hiding spot.”

“Well I don’t want to waste a whole day out here if it’s not needed. The weather will force her to the safest place she knows right?”

“I suppose.”

“That may just be the area we were at yesterday. If she’s hiding out, it’s going to be in that area. I think today while she remains still may be our best bet of catching her.” I don’t share her opinion and she must see it written on my face because she instantly turns defensive. “Fine, you stay here in the nice warm tent and enjoy your vacation and I’ll go get your cat all by myself.”

She charges out of the tent so fast I have no room to get my two cents in. I sigh and get dressed quickly. When I exit Santana is double checking her gear but I can tell she only does so to give me time to come along if I changed my mind. 

It’s dreary and damp and complete hell the entire way there. We’re both in horrible moods by the time we get one mile into our journey. It’s not long before the canopy above our heads thins out and we become soaked through even with our jackets. The leaves and branches littering the path are good for creating traction as the dirt turns to mud.

I’m cold and tired and I stop paying so much attention to where I’m stepping and I trip over a root swearing loudly as I grab onto a tree trunk to stop my fall.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m just peachy, Lopez. Thank you.” I snap. I instantly regret it but she turns and continues on without waiting for me to right myself. She seems to be on a mission the next half a mile and I struggle to keep up with her. I trip multiple more times, thankfully I’m able to stay upright each time and I’m seriously ready to yell at her for moving so fast in this stuff when it’s her trips. She catches herself but ends up hitting her knee off of a stump protruding from the path. She hops a few times before turning and kicking the stump in anger. I see her jaw clench realizing that must have hurt her but she doesn’t want to admit it. I decide to remain silent, not knowing if me speaking would make her mood better or worse. We’re both far from our chipper selves from the day before. 

“Why the hell am I even out here? I should be at home relaxing with a damn fucking cup of coffee!” she says loudly. “Why couldn’t the dumbass dipshit worker have let the mountain lion cage open? At least that way we wouldn’t have to look for it, it’s native to here.”

“Whether it’s a mountain lion or a tiger we would still be out here. These animals are used to people and because they are predators that makes them dangerous in the wild. Where a wild mountain lion would avoid people, this one may approach and that could turn out very bad.” I walk by her, disheartened. “I’m sure the  _ dumbass dipshit  _ didn’t mean to let any animal out and she’s probably heard enough shit about her screw up already. It’s not like she did it on purpose.”

I hear Lopez groan behind me but she doesn’t continue her angry rant and instead follows me silently. 

We make it to the marked tree and spend a couple hours searching carefully in as many hidden covered places as we can find. We can’t tell if the markings are any different than they were and I pull out my camera and take some pictures of both trees as we come to them. We should have done this the day before. 

We find nothing, just like I thought, but I don’t voice this and I stay longer than needed until Lopez is sufficiently exhausted and guilty looking. She looks back at me where I’m leaning against a tree and opens her mouth twice to say something but ends up blurting “Let’s head back” instead. She brushes past me still wearing her guilty frown to lead the way back.

It’s silent the entire way and by the time camp is in sight I’m sneezing. Just fucking great. Our camp is damp everywhere but it’s not as soaked as the rest of the forest we just trudged through. I’m too miserable to compliment Lopez on her choice of camping spot.

I dive for the tent opening right away and instantly shed every article of clothing I have on, not caring if Lopez follows me, and change into a dry set of shorts and a shirt. I grab a towel from my bag and wrap it around my head to keep my hair off my shoulders. 

Lopez did follow me into the tent. I’m not sure if she saw me stripping but I don’t care. I crawl into my sleeping bag and close my eyes staring up at the orange of the tent. 

I can make out Lopez’s movements and know she’s changing into dry clothes herself but when she’s changed she sits and I can feel her eyes on me. I’m still freezing and I curse my warm bloodedness, what’s the point in being warm blooded if your blood doesn’t feel warm at all?

I ignore her stares and eventually must fall asleep because I wake up shivering and Lopez is hovering over me. I must not have been asleep long because it’s still light out. 

“Are you okay?” She asks, concerned.

I moan in response and try to wrap the sleeping bag tighter around me but it already is. She leaves the tent quickly and I groan my disapproval when cool air enters the tent through the opening. She returns quickly, closing the tent behind her and hands me a bottle of water and tells me to drink. I have no patience or energy to placate her. She doesn’t take no for an answer and tells me I haven’t had two cups of water all day. I finally comply so she will leave me alone. She helps me sit up and even carefully lays me back down. 

I feel like complete shit and It’s been a long time since I’ve been this sick. It must have been my lack of sleep before coming here, which compromised my immune system. It’s the only explanation I have. I’m usually very healthy. 

Being sick sucks.

“I know.” She says softly and reaches her hand toward my face. I thought I said that In my head. I guess not. Her hand hovers above me for a split second before she reaches further and brushes the hair out of my face. My towel must have fallen off while I slept.

I don’t know how many minutes pass but she stays hovered over me. She brushes the hair out of my face whenever my sporadic movements cause it to fall out of place and she tucks the sleeping bag around me when my leg disobediently keeps kicking out when I shiver. The sky begins to darken and I still hear the  _ tap, tap, tap, tap _ of rain above me and know there’s no hope of a fire being started tonight. It’s going to be a very cold night.

I just finish a more violent spasm when I hear Lopez swear and mumble under her breath. I have no strength to open my eyes, even though I haven’t slept since I woke earlier. I hear the rustle of her sleeping bag and I assume she’s given up on taking care of me and gone to sleep herself. I don’t blame her, she must be almost as exhausted as me. I wasn’t the only one trudging and tripping through the muck today. 

Instead, I feel a tug on my own sleeping bag and I grunt as I try tightening my hold. Of course she’s still stronger than me, I don’t know why I bother. I hiss as the cool air hits my body. I can tell I’ve been sweating which is stupid considering I’m so cold. I’m surprised when I feel legs knock against my own and my eyes fly open.

She’s right there. Like inches away. I look into her eyes and I see determination. She’s not going to be pushed away. She slides further in beside me and closes the zipper behind her, locking us both in. She shuffles and accidentally elbows my shoulder. 

“Sorry.” I say; I know it should have been her but for some reason I guess I thought I needed to apologize. I mentally blame the fever.

I hear a small laugh escape her lips as she turns back toward me and pulls her own sleeping bag over the both of us so we are doubly covered. I expect her to turn around and fall asleep like she has the previous two nights but again I’m surprised when her arms sneak around me. I freeze and don’t know what to do but she doesn’t back away and I can feel the warmth coming off of her in waves and I’m just so damn cold. 

She hums as I sink into her, tucking my face into the crook of her neck. She’s so warm and I feel my own body start to calm finally. It’s not long before my violent shivering stops. I still feel cold but it’s much more comfortable now than it was before I had her body wrapped around me. 

“I’m not a dumbass dipshit.” I mumble and I don’t know why that escapes my mouth. I think I meant to thank her.

“I know,” she responds. “I didn’t mean it. I was frustrated and it slipped out. I was mad at the situation, not you. I’m sorry.” 

I nod and bury my face further into her warmth.

I’m exhausted and I know what I’m doing but I can’t stop myself. I lean into her more until she’s forced onto her back and I curl myself into her. I cling onto her middle and entangle my legs with hers. I’m finally comfortable and warm. It doesn’t take long for me to fall into a restless sleep.

I wake up way before I want to and stubbornly try to get back to sleep. I tighten my hold and cuddle further into the warmth next to me before I realize it’s not my stuffed panda bear I have at home. I feel movement from my cuddle buddy and finally remember who it is... Lopez. 

I’m not sure what to do, do I move away, pretend I’m still asleep or…? I don’t have to decide because Lopez is turning in my arms. She’s doing it carefully but she’s not moving away so I don’t retract my arms. I take the brief moment to remember how amazing she was to me the night before. There wasn’t anything she did that I didn’t secretly want and need at the time and she did it all without me having to ask. 

“Brittany.” she whispers and her breath tickles my forehead. 

I don’t want her to know I’m awake so I make a small show of moving a little before pretending to continue sleeping. 

She tries again but this time I feel her hand brush the bangs out of my face as she feels my forehead. She calls my name again and I decide to ‘wake-up’. I mumble under my breath and stretch. I pretend I’m surprised at finding someone beside me and I look up from where I’m using her arm as a pillow. 

“Lopez?” I know I sound confused but the scratchiness in my voice isn’t planned and I wince noticing how dry my throat is. 

“Mmmm,” she responds as she reaches behind her and grabs a water bottle. She hands it to me after taking the cap off. I take a few sips, only lifting myself up just enough to be able to drink. “How are you feeling?”

I rest my head back on her arm but turn to lay on my back instead of moulded into her collar like I want to. I stretch my body, which is a little sore but I don’t feel overly weak. I breathe deeply and feel a small tickle in my throat that I try to clear away with little luck, and I’m warm, like really warm, but all in all I feel okay; not entirely healed but definitely much better than the night before.

“You’re a little warm I think. You might still have a slight fever.” She touches the back of her hand against my forehead again and then down onto my cheek. I shift into her touch, it's cool and feels really good on my heated skin.

I turn my head to her and see her looking down at me in concern. Again I remember how attentive she was the night before and I get a giant surge of butterflies exploding in my stomach. No one's ever treated me like she did last night and no one has ever looked at me so concerned like she is now. 

I blame the fever and my sleep-hazed brain but I can tell she’s really surprised when she finds my lips on hers. She gasps and freezes, probably waiting for me to realize the accident I’ve made. I feel her fingers twitch against my neck, confused. But I don’t back away; I don’t admit it was a mistake because even though I was a little surprised with my own actions I don’t regret them. I like the feel of her body pressed against my side and of her lips on mine. The only thing wrong is that she’s not kissing me back and I can’t let that continue. I pull away just enough to turn my head and connect our lips more firmly. 

She must realize I meant to kiss her when our lips connect the second time because she instantly slides her lips against mine. I hum in approval and she deepens it. Her hand moves from my neck to the back of my head, scratching lightly as she gently guides my head off her arm and down to the sleeping bag below us. I think the pillow is above us somewhere but I can’t be bothered with looking to find out. 

Now that her arm is freed she pushes up and hovers over me. My own hands have a mind of their own and they travel from her hips, along her ribs and then travel the contours of her back. I’m genuinely surprised when one of my hands finds its way to her ass and squeezes. She must be surprised as well because her lips leave mine in a gasp. 

I silently curse my hand for taking her mouth away, but she looks down on me and our eyes lock. I know I was disappointed at first that Lopez was the guide Steve was sending me with but looking up at her flushed face, hair spilling over her shoulder and eyes darker than I’ve seen them yet, I feel lucky to have spent this time with her and I kind of just want to stay here longer. 

My breathing is calming down but even though I’m able to breathe without her lips on mine, I miss them. I can’t help that my eyes flit down to stare at her mouth, how her lips are slightly swollen and I feel my tongue dart out to lick my own, still tasting hers there. 

I hear her groan above me and have just enough time to look up before she connects our mouths again. She wastes no time in parting my lips to explore my mouth. It’s overwhelming and I moan against her tongue. I don’t know what occurred first: my hand squeezing her ass or her hips grinding down on my thigh; It’s the first time I notice that our legs are still entwined and my brain completely shuts off as I buck up into her.

Her lips leave mine again and I let out a disappointing whine, which turns into a satisfied moan when they attach to my neck. I’m really hot and there are too many articles of clothing in the way and I start getting frustrated. I tug on her tank top and she gets the picture. She tries to sit up but the sleeping bag is still zipped up around us and it doesn’t allow for much space for maneuvering. I angrily find the zipper and push it down as far as I can reach with Lopez still on top of me. It’s enough to give her the space she needs and when she moves to straddle my hips she reaches back and helps the zipper along some more. The air in the tent is still warm but my skin cools a little now that the sleeping bag isn’t stifling us. 

I stare as Lopez lifts the tank top from her body and can’t stop my hands from trailing the exposed skin: her stomach, her ribs, over the scar maring her left side and up under her breasts where her bra hides the rest. I’m so distracted I forget Lopez has been watching me the whole time, and only remember when she purposefully grinds down on me again. I gasp and close my eyes as one hand finds its way to her hip and squeezes. 

She leans over me and kisses me again. I only notice her bra is missing when my hand runs up her back to her neck without encountering it. 

It’s all so overwhelming. I’m feeling more right now than I’ve felt in such a long time that I don’t know what to do with myself. Her lips leave mine again and trail down my neck to follow my collarbone. I moan and buck up into her hips again. It’s all so much but at the same time, not enough.

Her fingers find the hem of my shirt and tug up a few inches before she reaches a hand under it to feel my bare skin. Her hands are still cool and it feels amazing as her fingers ghost my heated abs. She attaches her lips to my neck and sucks as she reaches higher under my shirt. She hums when she notices I’m not wearing a bra. It must have escaped her notice earlier. She cups my breast and squeezes as I detach her lips from my neck so I can kiss her properly. She pulls away but not far so our noses are still brushing.

“We should stop.” I shake my head and connect our lips again but she pulls back quickly. “What are we doing?”

“Kissing.” I say and connect our lips again and I feel her lips move on mine and feel the smile she wears as she kisses me before she pulls back. She laughs and brushes her cool fingers over my nipple where her hand is still resting. I know what she means, this is definitely more than just kissing. 

I just don’t want it to stop yet. I kiss her again, this time more gently, hoping she gets the message that I want her, so much that I would probably beg for it. 

“We should talk.” She says as she looks into my eyes again and I see something in them. She doesn’t move off of me or retract her hand from my shirt so I know she wants this as much as I do, but there’s something in her eyes that is telling me something. I stare for a long time and she starts to squirm, she looks away and bites her lip. 

She’s scared. She’s scared of something and it’s making her hesitant.

I reach out and cup her chin, pulling it so she’ll look at me again. She took such good care of me last night and it affects me to see her previous strength disappear, she’s so open and weak in this moment. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to her and maybe that’s something we  _ do _ need to talk about, but not now.

I lean up and kiss the side of her mouth gently before pushing her to lay down, she obliges and I hover over her. I kiss her again before I trail my own lips down her neck. I find a spot that makes her breath catch and I latch on to it.

“Brittany,” she sighs and relaxes finally.

I move my lips to her ear, “We can talk later. I-” She nods her head understanding what I mean. I want her, I need her now, and I think she feels the same. 

She removes my shirt as I trail kisses over her breasts and stomach. I remove her shorts and panties before removing mine as well. 

When I crawl back up her body, leaving burning kisses along the way, she’s waiting for me the second I reach her lips. 

I reach down and touch her for the first time and she gasps, lips leaving mine. It’s amazing the sounds she makes as I build her up. I stay pressed against her the whole time and I think she appreciates that. She grips at my hips and the back of my neck, keeping me close. I have a feeling someone or a lot of people she’s cared for have left her, I don’t know, but I do know she likes to turn and see me staring at her, she likes my face close enough she can kiss me when she needs. Her expression as she freefalls over the edge is something I would pay actual money for to see again and again. As she comes down I trail my lips all over her face and neck. 

She curls into me after she’s calmed and kisses me gently on my chin. She nuzzles her face into my collar and it reminds me of how I did the same thing to her the night before. I’m almost thinking she plans to fall asleep again like this and it’s not like I’m opposed to it. I’d be perfectly content to do just that, but I’m pretty worked up and my hips squirm as she lifts one leg to drape over them. 

She notices and I can feel her smile into my neck. Her kisses along my collarbone start off light but soon she’s sucking and nipping at my skin gently. 

“If you want to rest you can.” I say to give her an out. I don’t want her to think she owes this to me just because I did it for her.

My body betrays me as her hand brushes over me and she can tell I’m really worked up. She hums as this becomes evident and pushes my legs further apart with her thigh. The next few minutes I’m in heaven. Her hands work magic and I can’t for the life of me figure out how she knows exactly where to touch and press to drive me insane. It’s not long before I’m straddling that edge. Her hand slows and I groan, not knowing why she’s stopping now. She hovers over me, removing her lips from my chest where her mouth has been working it’s own magic. our noses touch as she gets closer and then she’s kissing me so deep that it pulls the breath from my lungs and she moans, deep from the back of her throat as her body arches into mine. It’s all so hot that when her fingers start to move again I can’t stop my body from climaxing even if I wanted to.

When I come back down she’s curled around me and is placing butterfly kisses to my neck. I hum content in the moment. I briefly wonder how I could meet someone two days ago and now be sharing... not just sex, I can’t call it that even though it was mind-blowing, but an intimate moment. I never feel this close to people I just meet, but as I open my eyes and look into hers we both blush, and she’s so cute that I find myself not questioning it anymore. I don’t care how or why or what this is, I like it and I definitely want more of it.

We lay in silence for a long while. It’s not awkward, it’s actually nice. She runs her fingers over my stomach, drawing patterns and I weave my fingers through her hair. Eventually she sighs and I know what’s coming next. We can’t stay like this forever, no matter how much both of us want to.

“It stopped raining late last night.”

“Good.” I know what she’s getting at; we do have a job to do, a reason why we are out here.

“I don’t really want to, but I should go see if Hadiah returned to that spot. If I get there now I might catch her before she leaves to hunt again.”

I sigh, knowing she’s right. We have to return.

“I’ll just be a few hours.” She says as she sits up.

“What?”

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” She repeats thinking I didn’t hear her. She’s pulling on her clothes and I sit up. She frowns at me and pushes me back down onto my back. I think briefly that she’s changed her mind and we might be able to have a second round, but she goes back to getting dressed. “You rest.”

“I’m coming too!” 

“No.” Okay here’s the Lopez from the other day.

“Yes.”

“Not going to happen. You’re sick.”

“You pointed out yesterday Hadiah is my cat and it’s my responsibility.”

“That was before you got sick. You need to rest.” She frowns as she makes sure her clothes are all in order. and I realize she’s not trying to be stubborn, she’s just worried about me and I find it so cute. Who would have thought the girl yelling at her boss in the ranger station could be so adorable.

I sit up and kiss her on the cheek and she blushes before frowning at me pulling on my own clothes.

“I said no.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise. We can go slower and I’ll rest if need be but I need to go. Besides If you leave without me I’ll just try to follow and  _ who knows _ if I remember the way correctly. I might get lost.”

She finally relents. She allows me to come but she won’t let me carry anything. It’s damn near annoying and I’m about to tell her so as she shoulders a bag ladened with both our supplies, when she reaches out for my hand. My stomach does a couple flops as I place my hand in hers and she pulls me towards the path. 

There are some spots in the path that are too narrow for us to walk side by side and she makes me go through first, to keep an eye on me, before taking my hand again. I think she knows that I’m not going to pass out when we reach the marked tree because she agrees for us to split up and search for any new signs Hadiah has been here. I find some fresh feces and almost jump for joy. I motion Lopez over to show her. She instantly takes out her tranq gun. We search for another hour before we find Hadiah in another clearing soaking up the sun. It must feel nice compared to what she endured the day before. 

Lopez is a really good shot and Hadiah never sees us as the needle lands on her haunch. She stands and paces the clearing in annoyance until the drug takes effect. It’s only when I’m standing next to her that I wonder how we’re going to get her out of here. Lopez says she has a plan but she’s going to need to go get the Jeep which will take her a couple hours to return with if she jogs. I tell her I’ll go but she refuses, she does have a point that she’s stronger than me at the moment. Plus, I wouldn’t know the roads to take to get the Jeep here anyway. 

She doesn’t look to like her idea, not wanting to leave me alone, but hands me the tranq gun in case Hadiah starts to wake and heads off the way we came, knowing we have no choice. It’s not like we can carry her out of here ourselves. 

It’s three hours when she returns apologizing for it taking so long. I kiss her on the lips when she won’t shut up and she smiles after that. I help her carry Hadiah to the Jeep as there isn’t enough room to get the jeep through the trees into the clearing. 

I ask about the campsite and Lopez says she grabbed most of the supplies when she was back at camp and can come get the tent and the rest the next day. She motions to the back and I see my belongings are all there. It’s then that it hits me; this is the end of our time together.

From there the drive is silent, neither of us wanting to broach the subject. We make it back to the Ranger station and administer Hadiah another dose of sedatives. We transfer her to my truck with the help of Steve and another Ranger and I shake hands with both of them for helping the zoo out.

I turn to Lopez last and don’t know what to say to her. She’s standing defensive with her arms crossed. She barked at the other young Ranger when we’d arrived so I figured she returned to her usual self. Maybe what happened in the forest was just a one time thing or perhaps she was pretending?

I open my mouth to say something then I close it.

“Thank you, Lopez.” I say and I give her the chance to say anything but she doesn’t. I’m about to turn around and leave when her stance changes. She drops her arms and her eyes are no longer hard. She’s looking at me the same way she did in the tent, scared. 

Neither of the other two Rangers probably noticed but I did and I realize that’s all that’s needed. She’s too scared to say anything. Her attitude is a defence, maybe for whatever reason she can’t ask me to stay or ask what this is. But why should that stop me? I want to know why she’s so closed off, why she’s so defensive, but that’s going to take time and trust. The thought of me leaving and never seeing her again creates a heavy pit in my stomach. I can’t let that happen. 

I cross the space between us and kiss her. I cup her cheeks so she won’t pull away due to her fear she doesn’t seem to have full control over and I deepen it. I don’t want to leave without making it plain that I want her still. When I pull away I smile. She looks at me questioningly before I peck her lips a final time. 

“I’ll see you soon, Lopez?” I ask and she nods. “You know where to find me, but just in case, Steve has my number as a contact info, feel free…”

She blushes and nods again. 

I’m just getting into my truck when I close the door to find her standing on the other side looking nervous. I roll down my window and wait. She shuffles forward and sticks her head into the window and kisses my cheek. “Santana.” she whispers.

“What?”

“Call me Santana.”

“Okay, Santana.” I say while smiling. “I’ll talk to you soon.” 

She nods and smiles for the first time since we left the clearing and backs away from the truck so I can pull away. We both know I need to get Hadiah back to the zoo before her newest sedatives wear out. 

I’m barely out of the drive when my phone rings. I look and notice I have a text from a number I don’t recognize. I open it as I reach the stop sign at the end of the road.

_ ‘So you have my number too.’ _

I smile huge knowing she must’ve sprinted to the office to find my number this quickly.

_ ‘I have tomorrow off, just saying ;)’ _

I’m ten minutes down the road before I get a response. I pull over, anxious to be able to read it as soon as possible. I was starting to think maybe I was being too forward.

_ ‘Steve just decided it was a good idea to give me the day off too, see you tomorrow.’ _

‘What did you do?’ I ask

_ ‘Don’t worry about it :)’ _

I decided to drop it. I’ll get the story out of her tomorrow. I already can’t wait to see her again.

  
  



End file.
